Robert Kubica/2010 Season
Polish |team = Renault F1 Team |races = 19 |poles = 0 |Wins = 0 |podiums = 3 |fastest laps = 1 |points = 136 |WDC Standing = 8th|car No. = 11 |helmet = }}Kubica moved to Renault for 2010. Having joined a team that had also suffered a poor 2009 they rebounded together in 2010. He consistently got the most out of the R30, bringing it within range of the front-running teams. He qualified on the front row at Monaco and finished on the podium behind the Red Bull drivers. He was also on the podium at Spa and had worked his way up to second at the start at Suzuka before a wheel fell off his car. There was little contest between him and rookie team mate Vitaly Petrov, and as the season progressed rumours linked him to Felipe Massa’s Ferrari seat alongside Fernando Alonso. Report Kubica moved to the Renault team for 2010. His position was briefly put in doubt, however, by the team evaluating its future in the sport following the 2009 season in the wake of the "Crashgate" scandal and the parent company's financial problems. This resulted in a Luxembourg-based investment firm, Genii Capital, taking a 75% stake in the team; Renault retaining the remaining 25%.Eric Boullier was also appointed as the new team manager. Kubica said he might not stay with Renault, as his contract was only valid if the parent company had a controlling stake in the team, but he then decided to remain with them.On 31 January 2010, it was announced that Vitaly Petrov was to be Kubica's team-mate. On 7 July 2010, it was confirmed that Kubica had extended his contract with Renault to 2012. At the opening race of the 2010 season in Bahrain, Kubica was tagged by Adrian Sutil and spun on the opening lap but recovered to 11th. At the next race in Australia, he finished second after starting in ninth position. Fourth in Malaysia and fifth in China left him in seventh place in the drivers' championship, 20 points behind championship leader Jenson Button. Kubica felt that had there not been a second safety car period in China he could have finished on the podium. In Spain he finished eighth, but followed this up with another podium in Monaco, holding third throughout after losing second at the start to Sebastian Vettel. At the Turkish Grand Prix, he was held up behind Nico Rosberg for the second time in the season after Malaysia, and finished sixth. In Canada, Kubica finished seventh after an eventful race and problems with tyre degradation which made his race difficult, but did set the first fastest lap of his career in the race's closing stages. He added a fifth in Valencia and seventh in Germany before taking his third podium of the season in Belgium. He was competitive throughout the weekend, qualifying third, and only a bungled pitstop cost him second to Mark Webber. In Singapore, he qualified eighth in front of Schumacher. During the late stages of the race, he was forced to pit from sixth place due to a puncture. He was released from the pits to twelfth place, but with the help from superior grip and a series of overtaking moves—his move against Sutil was favourably compared to the incident between Webber and Hamilton—was able to claim seventh place, ultimately gaining a place from his qualifying result. In Suzuka, he managed to trail the Red Bulls throughout the weekend and translated it into a strong third place in qualifying. However, despite getting a good start and overtaking Webber at the start of the race, but would retire during the safety car period after losing one of his rear tyres. Season gallery Kubica Bahrain Grand Prix 2010.jpg|At the Bahrain GP Robert Kubica 2010 Australia (cropped).jpg|At the Australian GP 5029328521 05f64182ff.jpg|At the Singapore GP Complete Season results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Category:2010 Drivers Category:Driver Reports Category:Renault F1 Drivers